The cooler weather is creeping in and the russet leaves are slowly falling from the trees. The autumn season is well and truly here.

In this month’s recipe selection, we are helping you make the most of pumpkin, a vegetable that is popular at this time of year, but not often popular in cooking. This quirky orange vegetable is a member of the squash family native to North America, and is a traditional feature of the American Thanksgiving meal as well as Halloween in the UK, Europe and the US.

Incorporating vegetables into traditionally sweet desserts or drinks is a current trend, and it’s a great way to get vitamins into your diet. So when you’re busy pumpkin carving this Halloween, consider using some of our tasty recipes to get the most out of this quality produce.

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Start to prepare your pumpkin as you would for carving: cut off a ‘lid’ and scoop out all the seeds and membranes. Put the lid back on and sit the whole pumpkin on a sturdy baking tray. Bake following the size guide in the ‘Tip!’ part, the larger the pumpkin the longer you will have to bake it for.

Mix the grated cheeses with the corn flour until completely coated and no excess flour remains. Remove the pumpkin from the oven, discard the lid and increase the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Layer up the cheese, crème fraîche, white wine, shallot and garlic inside the pumpkin. Lift back into the oven and bake for 30 mins or until the fondue is melted and bubbling. Eat with spoons, scooping out chunks of soft, roasted pumpkin with the melted cheese.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about five minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes. Add the bacon and fry until it starts to get crispy.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until it is slightly toasted. Add about 235ml of broth and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed into the rice. Repeat this process with the remaining broth and the white wine.

Stir in the pumpkin, black pepper and chilli pepper, and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve the risotto.

Pumpkin Pie

Nigella Lawson

Serves 6

Pumpkin pie is the desert of choice at the Thanksgiving table in the USA. It’s light texture and spicy flavour is the perfect way to round off a hearty meal.